Lin Ran bit her lip, but she couldn't stop the sobbing sound from escaping her mouth.
Lin Ran felt her heart crushed to pieces seeing Ji Yun behaving like this. It made her guilty and caused her heartache at the same time.
Seeing that the doll wasn't eating, Ji Yun looked anxious…
The kitchen had prepared xiaolongbao, so the caregiver came over with some. She bent over and urged Ji Yun to eat some dumplings in a gentle voice.
This morning, Ji Yun hadn't eaten much at breakfast. She looked at the xiaolongbao and said, \"Ran Ran likes dumplings!\"
The caregiver had a good temper, so she merely smiled at Ji Yun. \"Then I'll ask the kitchen to prepare dumplings so that Madam and Ran Ran can eat more later, okay?\"
Lin Ran, whose throat was swollen and painful, looked at Ji Yun and nodded. She then turned around, unable to wipe her tears dry no matter how she tried.
The caregiver told the kitchen to prepare dumplings for Ji Yun. Everyone in the villa was attentive when it came to taking care of Ji Yun. It was customary for the kitchen to be on standby to receive such orders, so the kitchen went to work without a second word upon being instructed.
Lin Ran felt like she could no longer stay by Ji Yun's side, feeling so stifled that she might break apart.
After asking the caregiver where the washroom was, Lin Ran hid in the washroom.
She leaned against the door and cried for a while. She then turned on the tap and splashed her face with some cold water.
After ten-odd minutes and making sure her appearance looked well-groomed, Lin Ran came out of the washroom with reddened eyes.
\"In the future, if Miss Lin comes here, just directly let her in!\"
Hearing Lin Nuan's voice coming from upstairs, Lin Ran's hand paused on the washroom door she was trying to close. She looked up…
Lin Nuan was standing on the second floor by the handrails and speaking with the older caregiver. She walked towards the stairs.
\"Okay, Madam!\" The caregiver nodded.
From her peripheral vision, Lin Nuan saw Lin Ran. Lin Nuan walked down the stairs as she asked, \"Why didn't you sit with Mom for a little longer?\"
Lin Ran didn't utter a sound. Only when Lin Nuan was nearing the bottom of the stairs did Lin Ran suddenly speak, \"Lin Nuan, do you hate me?\"
Lin Nuan's hand paused on the handrail, a questioning look in her eyes. \"Why did you suddenly ask this?\"
\"I prohibited you from staying in contact with the Lins, afraid you would steal my mother away from me! But I stole your mother away from you!\" Lin Ran's fists were clenched by her sides.
Hearing this, Lin Nuan laughed and shook her head, continuing to descend the stairs. \"Why would I hate you? It's not your fault that our identities were swapped back then. It's also not your fault that Mom is mentally ill.\"
\"But I've occupied all the motherly love that belongs to you, leaving no space for you in Mom's heart. How could you be so magnanimous?\" Lin Ran almost couldn't believe Lin Nuan's words.
If their roles were reversed… if Liang Mulan only had Lin Nuan in her heart, Lin Ran would certainly have hated Lin Nuan to the core!
Lin Nuan looked at her with a clean and clear gaze, her eyes, which were as dark as jewels, appearing bright. \"That's why I'm living more blissfully than you!\"
Lin Ran paused, feeling that what Lin Nuan said made a lot of sense.
Yes, Lin Nuan took things easier than her, and because of that, Lin Nuan lived more blissfully!
Although Lin Ran's birth mother wasn't crazy, she lived in fear of losing what she had every day, fearing Lin Nuan would snatch away all of her biological mother's attention.
Lin Nuan stood before Lin Ran, a frank expression on her face.
Lin Ran clenched her hands and said to Lin Nuan, \"Although you're allowing me to visit Mom, I'm not you. I still don't wish for you to have any association with the Lin family!\"
Lin Nuan nodded. \"I know!\"
Lin Ran felt sheepish due to Lin Nuan's clear gaze, so she shied away from looking at her. \"I've seen her, so I'll get going!\"
\"I'll send you.\"
As the two of them walked towards the gate, Lin Nuan said to Lin Ran, \"If you have time, do come and visit Mom. If you don't wish to see me, just give me a call in advance, and I'll just come at a different time! You can come directly, no one will stop you…\"
Lin Ran overheard what Lin Nuan had told the caregiver and knew that no one would stop her.
Lin Nuan sent Lin Ran to her car and reminded her, \"Be careful on the road!\"
Lin Ran awkwardly nodded at Lin Nuan before opening the car door. She was about to climb into the driver's seat when…
\"Ran Ran!\"
Ji Yun's anxious voice was suddenly heard.
Lin Nuan and Lin Ran both looked towards the entrance of the villa.
The shawl had slid off of Ji Yun, and she was so anxious that her chest was heaving up and down violently.
Lin Ran tightened her grasp on the car door, goosebumps rising all over her body. She gazed at Ji Yun with anticipation and nervousness, all at the same time. Her pupils were quivering violently, her lips were trembling, and she nearly uttered the word \"Mom\"…
But because Lin Nuan was around, Lin Ran forced herself to swallow back that word.
The instant her eyes met Lin Ran's, Ji Yun, who was breathing rapidly, suddenly smiled. She ignored the caregiver shouting out to her and ran down the stairs. Her eyes, which were almost identical to Lin Nuan's, seemed to shine like the brightest lights in the world.
The caregiver picked up the shawl that Ji Yun dropped and gave chase…
These caregivers had taken care of Ji Yun for a while now. Ji Yun had always been quiet, and this was the first time they had seen such a situation.
It was as if the world had slowed. Lin Ran could only hear her own breathing and the sound of her heart beating.
She let go of the car door, wanting to rush towards Ji Yun and hold her tightly, but it was as if her feet were pinned to the ground with a nail, and she couldn't shift them away.
Lin Ran and Lin Nuan both stood there, yet in Ji Yun's eyes, there was only Lin Ran. She ran to Lin Ran and extended her hands towards her, and in her palm… was a steaming hot dumpling!
Ji Yun's palm was red from the scorching dumpling, but her eyes looked bright as she gazed at Lin Ran. She said to Lin Ran in a lowered voice, \"Mama stole a dumpling! Ran Ran, eat! Ran Ran likes it! Ran Ran, eat!\"
All of a sudden, Lin Ran broke into tears…
Lin Nuan stood by the side, the corners of her lips turned up and her eyes reddened.
This was Lin Nuan's mother. She knew that… if her mother had a clear mind, she would love her this way too. Hence, her heart ached, but she wasn't jealous!
Lin Ran held up Ji Yun's scalded red hand with both hands, choking with her head lowered. Not despising the dumpling, she took a bite, chewing in spite of how hot it still was, tears flooding down continuously as she said in a choked voice, \"Delicious!\"
Ji Yun saw Lin Ran cry, and her heart ached for her. She frantically wiped away Lin Ran's tears with that reddened and oily hand, causing Lin Ran's face to become even dirtier…
\"Hush hush, Ran Ran! Mama will no longer be crazy… don't cry, Ran Ran!\" An anxious Ji Yun could only repeat these words over and over again.
Lin Nuan looked down and almost couldn't hold herself back, but she was truly happy! Happy that Ji Yun could recognize Lin Ran instead of being immersed in that world she didn't know about with that barbie doll in her arms.
Lin Ran could no longer care about the fact that Lin Nuan was around. She hugged Ji Yun, breaking into tears like a child that had finally found her way home after having lost her way for several years.
Ji Yun looked pained as she stroked Lin Ran's head, comforting her in a gentle voice, \"Mama will no longer be crazy… Mama will no longer be crazy!\"
However, the more Ji Yun said this, the less Lin Ran could hold back her sobbing and tears.